Orthodox Union

Founded in 1898, the Orthodox Union (OU) is one of the oldest and largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the world. Headquartered in Downtown Manhattan, the OU serves as an umbrella organization for hundreds of Orthodox synagogues across North America and supports the broader Jewish community through a wide range of programs in education, social action, public policy, and community development.

The OU is best known for OU Kosher, the world’s largest and most widely recognized kosher certification agency, which certifies over one million products in more than 13,000 plants worldwide. Because OU Kosher is part of a nonprofit communal organization, its certification revenues help fund the broader mission of the Orthodox Union.

Beyond kosher certification, the OU operates a wide array of impactful programs. NCSY (the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, founded in 1954) engages tens of thousands of Jewish teens each year, while the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) places rabbinic couples as Torah leaders and mentors on college campuses. The OU Advocacy Center serves as the nonpartisan public policy arm of the organization, representing the Orthodox Jewish community before government officials.

The OU also runs programs supporting individuals with disabilities (Yachad), adult Torah learning, synagogue and community engagement initiatives, and Israel-related programming, making it a comprehensive resource for Orthodox Jewish life in North America and beyond.